Animal shelter placed under quarantine for deadly dog virus

January 19, 2018

EAST PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Officials have placed a Rhode Island animal shelter under quarantine because two puppies contracted a deadly viral disease.

Animal Control Supervisor William Muggle tells The Providence Journal the East Providence animal shelter cannot accept new dogs during the quarantine. He says stray dogs are being housed at the Pawtucket animal shelter instead.

Muggle says the two puppies were rescued from an alleged animal horder last week. He says the gastrointestinal virus makes the dogs very sick, and other puppies from the same litter are showing symptoms.

Dogs cannot pass the disease to humans.

Muggle says the shelter is giving the affected dogs supportive care. The quarantine is scheduled to last for 10 days after the last dogs show symptoms.